Apple to hit a $4 trillion market cap

NASA "touched" the sun. IRS sends $1,400 checks.

together with FINMATEX

Good Morning. It’s December 27th, the gifts are unwrapped, the snacks are half-eaten, and the New Year’s resolutions? Oh, those can wait. This is prime time for scrolling, napping, and convincing yourself that January 1st is when you’ll really get it together.

Meanwhile, New Year’s Eve is creeping closer, the one night where sparkling outfits and fizzing drinks distract us from the fact that time is just a construct. You might be gearing up for a big party or just crossing your fingers to make it to midnight. Either way, here’s to ending the year in style—or at least cozy and content.

Today’s stories:

  • 50,000-year-old baby mammoth found in Siberia

  • Travelling to the U.K.? You need to register now.

  • NASA's Parker Solar Probe “touched” the sun

  • What did kids want for Christmas in 1955?

  • 50,000-year-old baby mammoth

    and more…

Stock market

Crypto

The stock market traded mixed on Thursday, following a period of recent gains. The tech-heavy Nasdaq declined 0.1%, while the broader S&P 500 slipped slightly and the Dow Jones remained steady. Positive performance in the retail and healthcare sectors helped mitigate some of the losses. Meanwhile, in the bond market, Treasury yields declined, which generally indicates a calmer market environment for investors.

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Apple to Be the First Company to Hit $4 Trillion

Image: Finance Charts

Apple is poised to become the first company to hit a $4 trillion market cap by early 2025. Analysts credit AI upgrades and record iPhone 16 sales for the boost. Already valued at $3.85 trillion, Apple’s leaving rivals like Nvidia and Microsoft far behind.

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IRS sending $1,400 checks to a million Americans. The I.R.S. is giving one million taxpayers a belated gift—up to $1,400 each for a pandemic-era tax credit they missed in 2021. The payments, part of the 2021 Recovery Rebate Credit, will go out automatically, no action needed. By the end of January, the I.R.S. expects to send $2.4 billion in total. For once, dealing with the I.R.S. means getting money instead of losing it.

Blackmagic’s $30K Camera Drops Early 2025

Image: Blackmagic

Blackmagic’s URSA Cine Immersive Camera, the first pro camera for Apple’s $3,500 Vision Pro headset, is set to ship by late Q1 2025. Priced at $29,995, it shoots high-res 3D Immersive Video tailored for VisionOS. Announced at Apple’s WWDC earlier this year, the camera is now available for preorder on Blackmagic’s website. 

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NASA's Parker Probe 'touches' the sun in historic mission. NASA's Parker Solar Probe made history on Christmas Eve, becoming the closest human-made object to the sun. Traveling at a mind-blowing 430,000 mph and enduring scorching temperatures of 1,800°F, the car-sized probe came within 3.8 million miles of the sun's surface—a feat scientists are calling as monumental as the Apollo moon landing.

50,000-year-old baby mammoth found in Siberia. Meet Yana, a baby mammoth frozen in time for 50,000 years, now unveiled in Siberia. Found in the Batagaika crater, aka the “gateway to the underworld,” she’s the best-preserved mammoth ever. Weighing 220 pounds and standing 47 inches tall, Yana joins an ancient cast of bison, horses, and dogs also found in the crater. Mother Nature really knows how to keep history on ice.

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Planning a Trip to Europe in 2025? Get Ready to Register

Image: Peter Powell

Starting in January, Americans traveling to the U.K. and over two dozen European countries will need to complete an online registration before their trip. Think of it as a bit of pre-vacation paperwork—a few extra hoops to jump through.

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What did kids want for Christmas in 1955? Step back in time to see what Christmas looked like for kids in 1955 London. Spoiler: no smartphones or video games here. 

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TikTok of the day: watch here

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